A requirement that Commercial Driver’s License applicants must have a learner’s permit is one of several changes to be implemented July 1 by the Georgia Department of Driver Services.

House Bill 118, passed during the 2015 Session of the Georgia General Assembly, also limits cellphone use while operating a commercial vehicle. The procedural changes bring Georgia into compliance with new federal mandates.

House Bill 118 Testing Procedure Changes (Commercial Driver)

• Commercial Driver’s License customers must hold a CDL learner’s permit for a minimum of two weeks before scheduling a CDL road test.

• Commercial learner’s permits are obtained by providing all previously required documentation and successfully passing a General Knowledge Test and testing for any endorsements (if required).

• The CDL learner’s permit will be valid for six months and may be renewed one time for an additional six months.

• Upon the expiration of the second six-month term, the CDL learner’s permit holder shall upgrade to a commercial driver’s license after the appropriate vehicle testing, or the customer shall submit a new application, pay the required fees, and retake the required knowledge and skills tests to obtain a new CDL instructional permit.

Use of mobile phone restrictions (Commercial Drivers)

No person shall operate a commercial motor vehicle on any public road or highway of this state while:

• Holding a wireless telecommunications device to conduct a voice communication.

• Using more than a single button on a wireless telecommunications device to initiate or terminate a voice communication.

• Reaching for a wireless telecommunications device in such a manner that requires the driver to maneuver so that he or she is no longer in a seated driving position properly restrained by a safety belt.

 Please visit the DDS website at www.dds.ga.gov; or at this link, http://www.dds.ga.gov/commercial/index.aspx, for complete commercial driver information.